Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome: Card Subject to Change

[King Kamala]

Despite a State of Emergency, competing with the motherhugging Summer Olympics being in town, and rapidly dwindling interest in the product, NJPW forges ahead tomorrow with their first non January Tokyo Dome show since 2005. Also arguably their biggest current star (and #1 contender) Kota Ibushi is out for the show due to a severe bout of pneumonia.

NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam
July 25th, 2021
Live from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan

IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match
Shingo Takagi (c) Vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP World Heavyweight Tag Team Titles Match
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & SANADA) (c) Vs Dangerous Tekkers

Kazuchika Okada Vs Jeff Cobb

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match
El Desperado (c) Vs Robbie Eagles

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles Match
Bullet Club (Taiji Ishiimori & El Phantasmo) (c) Vs Mega Coaches

NJPW Ranbo with handcuffs for the Provisional KOPW 2021 Trophy
Toru Yano (c) Vs TBA

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

this show looks good given they can only use talent that is in japan.

As far as dwindling interest that's more of a problem with international fans and even that is exaggerated IMO because they are starting major angles with AEW and from all reports about to bring in Bryan Danielson. When covid dies down in the next few months (hopefully) they'll be able to use a ton of big stars.

NJPW has it's problems but considering the circumstances they are working under they're shaping up.

 

[King Kamala]

You're right (again), CWM. New Japan's only gone downhill relative to where they were a few years ago. Even pandemic era NJPW still looks like mid '90s All Japan compared to what most promotions have put out. Plus they're due to bounce back huge once Japan reopens.

Only bad thing they've done was experimenting with EVIL as a main event heel and even then 1. I applaud that they tried something different and 2. They recognized relatively quickly that he wasn't a good fit and shuffled him back to the mid card.

Any predictions for tomorrow? I find it highly unlikely that Shingo will lose in his first title defense but oddly, I think it's more likely if he faces Tanahashi cause I have a feeling that they're going to want to have a feel good ending since this has potential to be a downer of a show (kayfabe wise). I think you can make a feel good story out of Ibushi gutting it out, win or lose.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I think anything can happen right now which is nice but Shingo will probably go over no matt who it is. If he beats Tana than Tana will probably put him over strong verbally as a big star.

I'm hoping Cobb beats Okada as he needs it far more than Okada does and Okada can always get momentum back in the G1.

LIJ should keep the tag belts and have a real run but the division swaps the titles around constantly.

I assume Despy beats Eagles and Hiromu returns and challenges him.

 

[King Kamala]

Yeah thinking about it more, it's possible that you could portray Shingo beating Tana as a feel good moment since Shingo'd be getting his win back from Tana beating him for the NEVER Openweight Title in January.

And I only say Tana beating Shingo is more likely in a relative sense. Like there's a 25% chance Tana > Shingo Vs 10% chance Ibushi beats Shingo. Insert Steiner math promo reference.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

well i admit when i'm wrong. Ibushi most be doing really bad because they just confirmed it will be SHINGO Vs Tanahashi.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1419103858672865280

Yep. I hope Ibushi is OK. Must kill him (not literally hopefully) to miss a Dome main event

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

really good show and the main event was super. EVIL being the next challenger is super bleh and the crowd had no reaction to it at all not even claps. I think he and SHINGO actually pair together really well and can have a very good match but the fear they might actually put the belt on EVIL again is always there.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1419261644610457600

EVIL being the next challenger is super bleh and the crowd had no reaction to it at all not even claps.

Yeesh. I almost wrote in my earlier post ITT about EVIL's failed main event run that we might not be done with him as a main eventer since he went over Ishii show before last. Ishii seems like a tentpole opponent for guys headed to the main event or biding time between main event feuds.

I'm not ready to write EVIL off as a main eventer forever but since he lost the title, it seems like instead of getting back to what got him to that point, they double down on all of the goofy BS that everyone hates. He's like an '80s heel in modern NJPW, which seems awesome on paper but really isn't!

If any opponent can bring something great out of him at this point though, it's Shingo. If they DON'T make the match 35-40 minutes (which is probably REALLY wishful thinking on my end) and just make it a hard hitting slugfest with minimal "HE GOT A CHAIN" Memphis BS then maybe people will remember "Hey EVIL can actually be pretty damn good and a hell of a character."

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Dragon Gate was doing all this constant runin stuff (but way more entertaingly) long before NJPW so if anyone can find a way to work it into a match without making it too painful it will be shingo. and yeah it will be long.

 

[King Kamala]

Even more painful than the failure of EVIL as a main eventer so far is having to admit that Dick Togo just is a very sub mediocre, uninteresting manager. I had high hopes for that pairing when he initially showed.

 

[King Kamala]

Watched the undercard before going to bed. Definitely can’t say it was predictable. I did not predict the Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles changing at all. Good way to build up the anything can happen feel.

Not psyched Cobb lost but they did it kind of like modern version of a ‘93 Bret Hart Vs Bam Bam Bigelow match where Okada was able to use ring savvy to just barely squeak out a win over the monster. And it was under 20 minutes long so take that CWM!

Did anyone else think structure of the tag team titles match was kind of odd? It seemed like Dangerous Tekkers were sort of playing baby faces. Also I wonder what was the point of Naito and SANADA “boosting the tag team division with their main event credibility” if they weren’t even going to successfully defend the titles?

most importantly, lost in shuffle of EVIL coming out to challenge for the IWGP World Title was Hirooki Goto and YOSHI HASHI coming out to challenge Dangerous Tekkers for the Tag Team Titles! And in the post match press conference, CHAOS lads said they will give Dangerous Tekkers a NEVER Six Man Tag Titles shot in exchange . Hopefully with Suzuki as their partner but I kind of expect it to be DOUKI (which is still cool. It’d be nice to see DOUKI in a main event )

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

With Olympic seats empty, the hottest ticket in Tokyo is not the Summer Games but pro wrestling

While the world's biggest sporting event is being carried out before empty seats, elsewhere in Tokyo, enthusiastic fans are enjoying live sporting events.

www.latimes.com

pretty cool

 

[King Kamala]

I feel the need to point out how goofy/ridiculous it was to have the referees wear baseball jerseys to remind us that the show was in a baseball stadium. If WWE did something like that, we'd definitely make fun of it or sarcastically pretend to greatly enjoy it.

Also wouldn't it be more accurate if the referees were dressed as umpires?

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Watched the undercard before going to bed. Definitely can’t say it was predictable. I did not predict the Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles changing at all. Good way to build up the anything can happen feel.

Not psyched Cobb lost but they did it kind of like modern version of a ‘93 Bret Hart Vs Bam Bam Bigelow match where Okada was able to use ring savvy to just barely squeak out a win over the monster. And it was under 20 minutes long so take that CWM!

Did anyone else think structure of the tag team titles match was kind of odd? It seemed like Dangerous Tekkers were sort of playing baby faces. Also I wonder what was the point of Naito and SANADA “boosting the tag team division with their main event credibility” if they weren’t even going to successfully defend the titles?

most importantly, lost in shuffle of EVIL coming out to challenge for the IWGP World Title was Hirooki Goto and YOSHI HASHI coming out to challenge Dangerous Tekkers for the Tag Team Titles! And in the post match press conference, CHAOS lads said they will give Dangerous Tekkers a NEVER Six Man Tag Titles shot in exchange . Hopefully with Suzuki as their partner but I kind of expect it to be DOUKI (which is still cool. It’d be nice to see DOUKI in a main event )

We're getting Suzuki

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1419587849859469315

 

[King Kamala]

If we're looking for more reasons to hate EVIL, he apparently called Shingo a homophobic slur during his show closing promo.